The Linemakers

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Is this 2010? That’s what one would think if looking at today's line on the Phillies-Nationals game, because Dan Haren is as high as -170. Granted, Haren has looked good over his past two starts, winning both, but how does a pitcher a team has lost 11 straight starts behind through July 22 have such a high number attached to him?

The Phillies aren't exactly lighting up the scoreboard with runs or wins lately, which is part of the reason the line is so high. But two good starts by Haren against the Mets and Brewers is hardly enough reason for these odds. Philadelphia had lost 13 of 14 games before taking two of three from the Cubs this week, but on the season, the Nationals have won only two more games than the Phillies.

Haren (6-11, 5.14 ERA) got a chance to regroup while on the disabled list and has posted a 2.40 ERA in five starts since coming back, but the Phillies remain a team he has yet to figure out during his career. He's 0-4 with a 5.54 ERA over seven starts against Philly. They are the only team in baseball he's yet to defeat, and his ERA against them is the second highest against any team.

Haren is matched up tonight against John Lannan (3-4, 4.10), who spent his first six years in Washington. Lannan has had his former team's number this season, going 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA in two starts against the Nats this season. The two pitchers squared off on July 8, with Philadelphia getting a 3-2 win and Lannan pitching eight scoreless innings.

This is a game between two bad teams that had high expectations coming into the season. Each has been given opportunities to climb up the standings against the Braves, and both have failed miserably. Haren should be favored in this game because of his last two starts, but not at -170. We could see -140, but because of the inflation and juicy number on Philly behind a pitcher that gets jazzed facing his former team, the best value today lies within the underdog here.

Red-hot Tigers

The Tigers haven't won more than 12 consecutive wins since 1934, 10 years before manager Jim Leyland was even born. The main reason for their streak has been pitching, as their starters have posted a 1.48 ERA over the recent run. Their hitting has been pretty good as well. Since the beginning of July, they have hit .322 with runners in scoring position, 49 percentage points higher the next best mark over the same span.

It was just a week ago that the Yankees were considered a wild-card contender, but after being swept by the light-hitting White Sox and losing 12 of their 18 games since the All-Star break, they are now seven games back in the wild-card hunt.

Perhaps even more interesting than the game itself will be the reception New York fans give Alex Rodriguez in his first home game of the season. He was booed loudly in all five of his at-bats Wednesday in Chicago, but did manage to get one hit. With the negative coverage in the New York tabloids around his pending 211-game suspension, Rodriguez will likely get the same type of greeting tonight at home that he heard in Chicago.